One Roll of Film on a Summer Day at the IC-CN Yard Jackson MS 2000

While there was a variety of traffic that traveled through Jackson, Ms., on the IC-CN, there also were certain staples that were regularly represented in the cars in that yard. Among them were coil steel, paper products, pulpwood, and liquid chemicals. On this particular Summer day in 2000, all of these industry ladings were represented.

If you want to shoot the IC-CN yard in Jackson, the entire east side of the yard is accessible via Mill Street, a public-access road. One can literally drive from one end of it to the other and shoot whatever can be viewed from the road during the morning hours 12 months a year.

SR #31022 wood chip hopper north of IC-CN Yard car repair shop at the north end of the yard Jackson MS 2000

 

GTW #307136 coil car with new paint job and new single hood build date 11-69 in IC-CN Yard immediately south of the yard office/tower in Jackson Ms 2000

OAR #61240 52' ACF exterior-post sliding door box car rebuilt with vent for paper service in IC-CN Yard parallel to Mill Street in Jackson Ms 2000

OAR #61100 52' ACF exterior-post sliding door box car rebuilt with vent for paper service in IC-CN Yard parallel to Mill Street in Jackson Ms 2000

JHMX #95087 5-bay rapid-discharge hoppers in the IC-CN Yard parallel to Mill Street in Jackson Ms 2000

 JHMX #95087 and another 5-bay rapid-discharge hopper comparing A and B ends in the IC-CN Yard parallel to Mill Street in Jackson Ms 2000

    ICG #245399 52' gondola by Mill St. in the IC-CN Yard Jackson MS 2000

The west side of the yard was blocked by a sketchy neighborhood, woods, and fencing at different points. However, in the afternoon one could get a good view of cars being pulled or pushed through the yard and over the hump right below the Woodrow Wilson bridge. The foot traffic across the bridge was also sketchy, there was a low guard rail and the traffic was (for Jackson) very heavy. However, a railfan perseveres! 

IC #7650 X-Mississippi Central loaded pulpwood rack being pushed over the hump in the IC-CN yard in Jackson Ms 2000

 IC #7650 X-Mississippi Central loaded pulpwood rack detail shot being pushed over the hump in the IC-CN yard in Jackson Ms 2000. The MC had been merged into the IC (pre-ICG) in 1967. The original MISSISSIPPI CENTRAL lettering is beginning to appear through the black paint-over. It's quite telling that in the 33 years since the merger all that IC had done was paint out the MC lettering and add an IC number.

See this page about the Mississippi Central.

ICG #822656 loaded pulpwood rack being pushed over the hump in the IC-CN yard in Jackson Ms 2000

ICG #821104 loaded pulpwood rack being pushed over the hump in the IC-CN yard in Jackson Ms 2000

IC #821175 45' pulpwood  bulkhead flat car being pushed over the hump in the IC-CN Yard in Jackson MS Summer 2000

ICG #822624 empty pulpwood rack being pushed over the hump in the IC-CN yard in Jackson Ms 2000 

ICG #822468 empty pulpwood rack being pushed over the hump in the IC-CN yard in Jackson Ms 2000

IC #1824 empty pulpwood rack being pushed over the hump in the IC-CN yard in Jackson Ms 2000

 

ICG #822496 empty pulpwood rack being pushed over the hump in the IC-CN yard in Jackson Ms 2000

CSXT #496329 brand-new coil car in IC-CN Yard in Jackson MS 2000

IC #299604 coil car in IC-CN Yard in Jackson MS 2000

DVLX #4172 molten sulphur tank car being pushed over the hump in the IC-CN yard in Jackson Ms 2000

UTLX #61359 molten sulfur tank car being pushed over the hump in the IC-CN yard in Jackson Ms 2000

DVLX #4175 molten sulphur tank car being pushed over the hump in the IC-CN yard in Jackson Ms 2000

Auto Frame 89' Flat Cars

I only got back into railfanning the last few months I was in Louisville so I didn't get that many photos of auto traffic. However, when I was in Dearborn I lived literally across the street from a GTW yard just outside the Ford River Rouge plant.

One of the more interesting loads I photographed were flat cars in auto/truck frame service. There were long strings of 60' flat cars in this service, but in the years immediately following 9/11 large manufacturing facilities were overzealous about keeping railfans away so I didn't get to shoot any of the 60' cars. I was lucky enough to get several 89' cars in this services. The cars had the frames stack and then strapped in place. Large metal baskets/boxes of smaller related parts traveling with them. This is a car I will have have at least one model of.

FTTX #58371 89' Flat Car with Auto Frame Load CSX Louisville KY Fall 1994

FTTX 900089 89' Flat Car with Frame Load on GTW at River Rouge Plant Melvindale MI Early 2005

FTTX 922089 89' Flat Car Box Rack Detail on GTW at River Rouge Plant Melvindale MI Early 2005

FTTX 922089 89' Flat Car with Frame Load on GTW at River Rouge Plant Melvindale MI Early 2005

FTTX 963391 89' Flat Car Frame Load Detail on GTW at River Rouge Plant Melvindale MI 2 Early 2005 

 FTTX 963391 89' Flat Car Frame Load Detail on GTW at River Rouge Plant Melvindale MI Early 2005

FTTX 96630 in auto frame service Side View on GTW at River Rouge Plant Melvindale MI Summer 2005

FTTX 96630 in auto frame service on GTW at River Rouge Plant Melvindale MI Summer 2005

FTTX 972304 in auto frame service on GTW at River Rouge Plant Melvindale MI Summer 2005